Health At Every Size and Weight Stigma with Ashley M. Seruya | #2

Click here to access a written transcript of this episode.

Today I’m sharing with you an interview I did with the amazing Ashley M. Seruya. Ashley is a virtual assistant, social work intern, and content creator specializing in Health at Every Size©, eating disorder recovery, and weight stigma.

As Health At Every Size© (HAES©) is becoming a more popular concept and moving into the mainstream, myths and misconceptions around it have inevitably developed. Most people seem at least confused by this weight-inclusive method of care if not completely averse to it. This makes sense in a world where we have been socialized to fear fat.

But HAES© has a lot to offer all of us, especially when you consider that there is no known way to lose weight and keep it off for the long-term. Shifting our focus from trying to lose weight to trying to care our bodies regardless of our weight can be very powerful.

We discussed:

• Ashley's history with disordered eating and the recovery process she went through that led her to the work she's doing now.
• How Health At Every Size© is a weight-inclusive approach towards well-being that does not prescribe health, but also understands that health can be achieved or sought after by people in all kinds of bodies.
• The difference between a weight-inclusive and weight-centric paradigm when it comes to healthcare.
• The myth that we have full control over our health.
• Thin privilege and concern trolling.
• Myths about HAES©, including the erroneous belief that it's “healthy at every size” or “health at any size” and that HAES© is inherently healthist.
• How we have all been socialized to believe certain things about different bodies and these beliefs can be deconstructed.
• The inspiration behind Ashley's fat-positive, HAES©-friendly art, including seeing the beauty in her own body.
• How Ashley defines health and wellness for herself at this moment in her life.

Mentioned in This Episode

• The Anti-Diet Project by Kelsey Miller
• Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life by Kelsey Miller
• The Food Psych Podcast with Christy Harrison
• The Minnesota Starvation Study
• Food Psych #127: Intuitive Eating & Health At Every Size FAQs with Ashley Seruya & Christy Harrison
• The Intuitive Eating book by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
• The Association for Size Diversity and Health HAES Principles
• The Association for Size Diversity and Health website
• Fat Is Not The Problem – Fat Stigma Is article by Linda Bacon and Amee Severson
• Facebook Group: HAES IG Task Force
• Facebook Group: Health At Every Size (HAES) for Therapists
• Facebook Group: FAT-POSI NYC!!

Featured in This Episode

Ashley M. Seruya (she/her) is a virtual assistant, social work intern, and content creator specializing in Health at Every Size, eating disorder recovery, and weight stigma. You can find her on her website and Instagram, and you can shop her artwork here.